A Tale of Poes and Fire Gone Wrong Or Right?
by Mag68
Summary: A response to a challenge issued on BWR. Takes place when Lorelai stayed at Luke's apartment the night after the Independence Inn caught fire.


A/N: Okay, so my good friend **Filo** was hanging onto this challenge that **LukeNLorelaifanatic** posted on BWR for a while. She handed it off to me, and bet that I couldn't make it angsty, smutty and a one-shot. Let's see if I can pull it off, shall we? Ooh, dirty! I'll post the challenge at the end.

**A Tale of Poes and Fire Gone Wrong – or Right?**

Lorelai tugged on the sheet and tried to tuck it under the side that she was making. "Oh, don't do that," Luke said with a frown.

"Don't do what?" Lorelai asked as she looked up at him across the bed.

"Don't pull the sheet back after I pull it. I need more for this side," Luke explained. They went back to tucking the sheet in when Luke said, "You pulled it back again."

Losing patience, Lorelai said, "Okay, I need it for my side."

"I need it to tuck in," Luke argued.

"Same here," Lorelai retorted.

"I always tuck it in on this side," Luke said as he pointed to his side of the bed.

"Let's tuck it in on both sides," Lorelai suggested.

Luke looked at her as if she just lost her mind as he asked, "You tuck a bed in on both sides?"

Lorelai nodded and answered, "Yes, and then I slip down into it like I'm in a straitjacket or something."

Luke smirked and said, "Oh, you must feel right at home there."

Lorelai pointed at him and said, "I so set you up for that."

Luke shook his head, giving up as he said, "Fine, tuck it in on your side." He turned and walked toward the couch, preparing to make his bed there for the night.

Lorelai looked over at him and said, "You know, I really should take the couch. Me taking the bed doesn't feel right."

Luke sighed as he rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, now, come on."

"What?" she asked innocently.

Luke gestured to her in frustration as he said, "You browbeat me into giving you the bed and pretending you don't want it now isn't working."

Lorelai shot him a pointed look and said, "I'm pretending to try to be polite."

Luke looked at her and answered, "I'm fine with the couch. You're the one that's exhausted."

Lorelai thought for a moment and then said, "You know, I'm actually not."

"Really?" Luke asked, surprised.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "I'm, like, strangely exhilarated. I mean, as awful as what happened today was, I'm happy with how I handled it." She sat down on the bed and explained, "You know, you never know how you're gonna react in situations like this until something happens and I think I did pretty well."

Luke smiled and said, "Yeah, I do, too." They locked eyes for a moment and then Luke quickly looked away as the telephone rang. He reached for the receiver and said, "Hello? Oh, hey, Nicole, hi. . ." he trailed off nervously. "Yeah, I'm good," he told her. "Oh, not much. There was a fire at the local inn out here and . . . Yeah, the one she works at," he clarified. "Yeah, everybody's fine. Yeah, just a lot of chaos for awhile," he said nonchalantly. "So, how was your thing today?" he asked, anxious to change the subject. He listened for a moment and then said, "All right, fill me in tomorrow." He paused and said, "Seven's good. Okay. Okay, yeah," he said with a nervous laugh. "Goodnight," he said before quickly hanging up the phone. He looked at Lorelai and gestured to the phone as he said, "That was Nicole."

Lorelai nodded and said, "So I heard. Why didn't you tell her I was here?" she asked curiously.

Luke shrugged and said, "Didn't come up," as he went into the kitchen.

Lorelai smirked and asked, "You mean, she didn't out of the clear blue and for no reason ask you if I was sleeping over?"

Luke poured hot water into two mugs and picked them up. "Just didn't seem necessary," he said as he handed her a mug.

Lorelai waved her hand at her pajamas and said, "Well, you have nothing to hide here. You just took in a refugee."

"I know there's nothing to hide," Luke said, a tad defensively. "It's just that, uh, you've kinda become a…" he trailed off awkwardly.

"Become what?" Lorelai asked with a concerned frown.

Luke waved a hand between them as he admitted, "A sore point with me and Nicole."

"What? How?" Lorelai sputtered.

Luke grimaced a little and said, "Well, on our first date, I was a little nervous and I wasn't having any luck coming up with topics, so I was just kinda blabbing a lot. And then she ordered extra fries at dinner, so it reminded me of you and I told her a quick story about you and French fries, and that seemed fine." He sat down on the couch and said darkly, "And then later, she ordered a third cup of coffee…"

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai chastised gently.

Luke took a deep breath and forged ahead. "And I mentioned you and your coffee thing, and I noticed that Nicole kind of reacted a little," he told her as he pointed to his face. "And ever since then, she's been a little sensitive to the issue," hr told her.

Lorelai shook her head as she dropped a hand to her lap and said, "Well, of course she is, Luke. You don't talk about another woman on a first date."

"Even if it's just a friend?" Luke asked incredulously.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "They don't exist."

"Come on," he scoffed.

Lorelai held up a hand to stop his protests and said, "Not on a first date."

"No other women exist on a first date, not even my mother?" Luke asked sarcastically.

Lorelai lowered her chin and stared at him as she asked, "Do you really think talking about your mother on a first date is wise?"

Luke chuckled and said, "Not really."

"You can maybe mention a sister, maybe. And then you move on really, really quickly," Lorelai explained.

Luke sighed tiredly and said, "This is why I hate dating."

"Well, unless you wanna be Mountain Man all your life, you've got to abide by the rules and customs," she teased. She looked at the clock and said, "Ooh, sorry, I have to get up super early tomorrow."

Luke turned over to look at the clock as he asked, "No problem. What time?

"Six," she said as she arranged the pillow to her liking.

Luke turned the alarm clock to face her and said, "I get up at quarter to five every morning."

Lorelai gasped and asked, "Why in the world would you get up that early?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I don't know, to run my business?" he answered with a smart assed smirk.

Lorelai pointed to him sternly as she said, "Well, change businesses." She flopped back onto the pillow and pulled the sheets up a little higher as she said, "Ooh, wow, total déjà vu."

Luke turned to look at her and asked, "Really?"

Lorelai smiled and said, "It's the alarm clock. I had a dream once that you set eighteen alarm clocks to get me up, which is not a bad way to get me up," she said with a nod.

Luke tucked his arm under his head as he asked, "Where were we?"

Lorelai chewed her lips for a moment and then said, "We were, um, at my house. I got up, I went downstairs for coffee, and you talked to my stomach."

Luke laughed and asked, "Why on earth I do that?"

Lorelai smiled a little, the color rising in her cheeks as she said, "Well, because I was pregnant. Twins."

Luke blinked in surprise as he blurted, "Mine?"

Lorelai turned to glare at him as she asked, "What am I, dream tramp? Of course yours."

Luke tried to keep the smile from creeping over his face as he asked, "We were married?"

Lorelai thought for a moment and then said, "Um, yeah. Did I not mention that?"

"No," Luke drawled as the smile emerged. He shifted a little on the couch and cleared his throat before saying. "You know, you shouldn't drink coffee when you're pregnant."

Lorelai nodded and said, "Uh, true."

Luke smirked and said, "It's probably why Rory's a caffeine addict."

Lorelai nodded, noting how he had avoided the topic of his paternity. "Right, you're right," she said with a smile.

Luke looked over at her, scratching his chest distractedly as he asked, "Dream go beyond that?"

Lorelai bit her lip as she shook her head and said, "No. Um, you talked to my stomach and then you ki. . .well, no," she stammered to a stop.

"Oh, okay," Luke said, a knowing smile teasing the corners of his mouth. He reached for the lamp and said, "Well, night."

"Yeah, night," Lorelai answered into the quiet darkness. A few minutes later, she asked, "Where's Jess?"

Luke snorted softly and said, "Wal-Mart."

"Oh. So late?" she asked.

"Stocking. He usually doesn't get home until after midnight," Luke told her.

"Do you really think he's cutting school to work?" she asked.

"I don't know," Luke answered with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, yeah I do. I know he has to be," he said as he turned onto his side to look over at the bed. "I just don't know what to do about it," he said gruffly.

"It's hard, when they're this age," Lorelai said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Luke said quietly. They lay silent for a few minutes, the sound of the second hand on Luke's alarm clock filling the room. He was hyper-aware, hearing the sound of Lorelai rubbing her foot against the sheet as her breathing grew a little deeper and more relaxed. As he rolled back over onto his back, he draped his arm across his forehead and asked softly, "How was it?"

"What?" Lorelai answered in a sleepy voice.

"The kiss," Luke answered with a smile.

Lorelai snuggled into her pillow as she said tiredly, "Good. It was good."

"Good," Luke said with a relieved smile as he closed his eyes and let himself begin to drift off to sleep.

An hour later, Luke was snoring softly and then stirred, rolling back onto his side as he heard the apartment door open. He heard the rustle of a jacket being removed, the quiet scraping of a zipper, and sighed, breathing easier now that he knew Jess was home and could drift back to sleep.

Lorelai was curled on her side, facing away from the couch, clutching her pillow as she dreamed of a cute pink nightgown with a ruffle along the bodice. When she felt the side of the bed dip down, and someone lying down beside her, she murmured, "Mmm, Luke?"

"Oh my God," Nicole whispered. "Lorelai?" she gasped as she sat up on the bed.

"Huh?" Lorelai asked as she rolled onto her back. She opened her eyes and saw an indignant redhead staring down at her. "Nicole!" Lorelai said as she sat straight up in the bed.

"What?" Luke asked as he shook himself awake.

"Oh my God," Nicole said in a louder voice as she stood up quickly and bent to feel for the skirt she had just dropped by the side of the bed.

As she scrambled to step into it, Luke sat up and said, "Nicole."

"This isn't happening," Lorelai said as she pressed the heel of her hand to her head. "Luke's girlfriend did not just crawl into bed with me," she mumbled.

Nicole Jerked the skirt over her hips and tugged the zipper into place as she hissed, "I did not crawl into bed with you. I thought I was crawling into bed with Luke!"

"What are you doing here?" Luke asked as he turned on the lamp.

"Agh," Lorelai said as she shielded her eyes from the light.

"I came over after I got out of my dinner meeting to surprise you because you said Jess had been working late," Nicole said in a trembling voice. She looked at Lorelai sitting in Luke's bed and clutching at Luke's sheets as she pressed her hand to her heart. "I didn't realize that I'd be interrupting something," Nicole spat as she scooped her pumps up off of the floor and cradled them in her arms.

"Sleep," Lorelai said as she turned to stare at Nicole incredulously. "You interrupted nothing but sleep," she said firmly.

Nicole whirled to glare at Luke and demanded, "Why is she in your bed?" as he pointed to Lorelai.

"She needed a place to sleep," Luke answered as he held his palms up helplessly.

"Yeah, right," Nicole said angrily. "She has a house, remember? You're always going over there to fix things for her," she said with a sneer. "I guess I know what you're fixing," she said as she jerked her suit jacket from the back of the kitchen chair.

"What do you think is going on here?" Luke asked, starting to get angry.

Nicole pointed at him, jabbing her finger into his face as she said, "You know damn well what I think is going on here!"

Luke jerked his head back and then yelled, "You think I had sex with her and then said, 'Thanks, it was great, but I'm gonna go sleep on the couch now,' is that what you think happened?"

"Why is she here?" Nicole screamed at him.

"She's here because the inn burned down, there are people staying at her house until they can collect their things, and she had no place to sleep!" Luke roared.

"Guys," Lorelai said as she scooted off of the bed, trying to get their attention.

"You honestly expect me to believe that there was no place else she could have stayed? No other 'friends' she could have slept with?" she sneered as she lowered the air quotes.

"There wasn't!" Luke said indignantly.

"It's true, the whole town took people in," Lorelai tried to explain.

Nicole pointed to Lorelai and asked in a voice shaking with anger, "Was she here when I called?"

"She has a name, and yes, Lorelai was here when you called," Luke said as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

"Luke," Lorelai called to him, realizing that he was just digging himself deeper in the hole. "It's okay. Uh, I'll go to Sookie's. I can sleep on the floor," she said as she started to gather her pillow.

"You stay!" Luke said as he pointed to her angrily. He turned back to Nicole and said, "Lorelai is my friend, this is my apartment, and that is my bed. If I say she can sleep in it, then she can," he said adamantly.

Nicole barked a laugh and said, "Of course she can! This is a dream come true for you isn't it?" she spat as she whirled around and headed for the door.

Luke followed her as he caught up to her in the hall and grabbed her arm to keep her from storming down the steps. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

Nicole jerked her arm from his grasp and said, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Luke. Don't try to play the dumb diner guy with me, I know you too well," she hissed.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Luke said as he shook his head vehemently.

"I do, and you do too," Nicole asserted as she jabbed him in the chest. "She's the one you want. She's the one you talk about incessantly. I've seen how you watch her! You can't keep your eyes off of her!" she said as she threw her arm out in frustration, one of her shoes falling from her hand and tumbling down the stairs. "But no, I'm the dumb one," she told him. "I thought that if you saw how good it could be with you and me, you'd forget her," she said in a choked voice as the fight drained from her.

"It is good," Luke insisted. "It is," he said in a softer tone.

Nicole nodded as she licked her lips and struggled to fight back the tears that threatened her eyes. "It is, but it's not what you want," she said quietly.

"Nicole," Luke said gently. "Nothing is going on," he said in a pleading tone.

Nicole looked away, blinking rapidly as she pressed her lips together and said hoarsely, "Yet."

"Ever," Luke told her. "Nothing has ever happened between me and Lorelai," he said sincerely.

Nicole nodded and tucked her chin to her chest as she took a deep breath. When she looked up again, she was more composed. She blinked harder as she said again, "Yet." When he opened his mouth, she held up her hand to stop him. "Stop denying it Luke. We both know the truth," she said quietly.

"I don't want to lose you," Luke said in a ragged voice.

Nicole tried to smile as she said, "Yeah, I can see that. But Luke, I never even had you to begin with," she whispered. She took a steadying breath as she looked at his stunned face and said, "I have to go. Take care, Luke," she said softly as she turned to walk down the steps, picking up her shoe along the way. At the foot of the stairs she paused and said, "I'll put the key back up above the door," as she pushed through the curtain.

Luke watched the fabric swing back into place and sway slightly as he heard the diner door close and the bolt shoot home. He sat down heavily on the top stair and buried his face in his hands, hunching his shoulders as he scrubbed at his skin and then raked both hands through his hair. He hung his head, his fingers brushing the back of his neck as he fought to calm his breathing. "Oh, God," he whispered. "What a mess."

Lorelai stepped cautiously into the hallway and looked down at his taut back. She reached down and placed a cautious hand on his shoulder, jerking it away quickly when he flinched. "I'm so sorry," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest, tucking her hands under her arms. "Oh, Luke, I never, ever would have come here if I thought that it would cause you a problem," she said sincerely.

"Yeah," Luke said as he lifted his head and stared grimly down the staircase.

"Wow, um, I don't know what to say," she said with a grimace. "I mean, why would she think that?" she asked, trying to toss it off with a shrug.

Luke blew out a gusty breath as he stared down at his hands and said in a low voice, "Because it's true." Lorelai blinked rapidly, trying to digest his words as Luke pressed his hands to his knees and pushed himself up. He turned, standing on the second step as he looked at her and said with a small shrug, "She's right."

"She's right?" Lorelai asked in a voice laced with disbelief.

Luke took a deep breath, trying to control the anger that roiled inside of him as he said impatiently, "Aw, come on, Lorelai."

"Come on what, Luke?" she demanded as she threw her arms out to her sides. "Am I supposed to know all of this?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, I think you are," Luke said, his voice rising as he stepped up. "She knows it," he said as he pointed down the stairs. "I know it," he asserted as he pointed to his chest. "You know it too," he said angrily as he stepped up to the landing.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "You're upset."

"Damn right I am," Luke said with a nod. "How long does it have to go on, Lorelai?" he asked, stepping closer to her as she backed away. "The flirting, the looks, those moments," he listed. "Don't shake your head, you know what I'm talking about," he said angrily. "I know you do," he told her.

"Luke," she started to say, but he cut her off.

"You've thought about it," he said as he pointed an accusing finger at her. "I've seen it. I'm not blind," he said as he shook his head. "You hated that I was dating Nicole," he said with a nod.

"I just didn't think she seemed right for you," Lorelai said defensively.

"Who is? Who do you think is right for me, Lorelai?" asked as she backed into the wall. "It's just me and you here. No one around to hear us, no one around to hide behind," he told her. When she stayed silent he frowned as he said, "I know I've seen it. I know you've felt it, Lorelai. Don't deny it," he said adamantly.

"I'm not denying anything," she started to say, but that was enough for Luke.

He pressed his palm to the wall above her head and leaned closer, staring into her bright blue eyes as they darted and skittered from his gaze. "Who's right for me, Lorelai?" he asked quietly.

Lorelai closed her eyes for a second and then whispered, "I am."

"Damn right you are," he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her hard. Luke released her abruptly, letting her stagger back against the wall as he stared at her, his chest heaving with adrenaline and fear.

Lorelai looked up at him and said in a more confident tone, "I am," as she wound her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately. The damn burst, and Luke was everywhere. He buried both hands in her hair, holding her firmly as he parted her lips with his and pinned her against the wall with his body.

Lorelai gave as good as she got, arching into him and rubbing her body against his sinuously. Luke slid one hand down, grazing her breast as he made his way to her hip and finally to her ass, and pulled her to him tightly. He smiled slightly, angling his head to kiss her more deeply and catching her sharp intake of breath as she ground against his arousal. Luke pulled her leg up onto his hip and cupped her ass, squeezing gently to signal her to jump up. Lorelai did, wrapping her legs behind his back and using the wall as leverage to press against him.

Luke tore his mouth from hers with a loud groan, adjusted her weight in his arms and carried her back into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind them. He walked quickly to the bed, falling with her onto the mattress, his hands reaching for the hem of her t-shirt. He tugged hard, pulling her up slightly to free the material and skimmed it up over her head, gratified to find that she was not wearing a bra to bed. He cupped her breasts in both hands, staring down at her as he watched his fingers stroke her soft flesh, and saw her nipples pucker and harden. "God, yes," he breathed as he lowered his mouth to her, drawing one tight bud between his lips and kissing it gently. He opened his mouth pulling her into the wet warmth and circling her with his tongue.

When he began to suckle her, Lorelai moaned and said, "Luke, oh Luke," as she ran her fingers through his hair. The sound of her voice, spurred him. He drew her into his mouth, sucking deeply as she pressed against him, her hips undulating in their desperate search for the friction she craved. Like a man possessed, Luke released one breast and bent to devour the other, sucking her demandingly as his hand slipped under the elastic of her pants. He shifted to his side, refusing to relinquish his hold on her breast as his long fingers sought the source of the heat he felt emanating from her. He burrowed into her panties, tangling his fingers in the curls there before dipping his finger down to touch her. The moment he stroked her warm wet folds, he was lost. Lorelai moaned and parted her legs in invitation, and Luke thrust his finger into her, releasing her nipple as he gasped for air.

Lorelai became frantic, arching into his hand and pressing him deeper as she reached for the drawstring on his pants. She pulled the string, loosening the knot and began to push his sweats down with one hand. Anxious to be free of the restrictive clothing, Luke rolled up to kneel between her legs. He pulled his hand from her, causing her to whimper in frustration, and grasped the waistband, jerking them down urgently. Lorelai lifted her hips and let him strip them away before sitting up and pushing his down, leaving them bunched around his thighs in her haste to find him. She wrapped her hand around the shaft of his cock, sighing with pleasure as she fell back to her pillow, and urging him to her. Luke leaned forward, a guttural groan escaping his lips as Lorelai brushed the head of his cock against her damp folds. She guided him to her entrance and then looked up at him with eyes hazy with desire.

Luke's eye's fluttered and rolled back slightly as he pushed into her, feeling her hot wet walls closing tightly around him. With a rush of breath, he thrust into her, lost in the sensation. "Oh God, Luke," Lorelai panted.

The sound of his name on her lips was almost more than he could bear. He kissed her deeply, his tongue tangling with hers as he tried to regain control. Lorelai gasped his ass in her hands, pulling him deeper and allowing him no respite. When a small shake of his head, Luke began to drive into her, nipping at her lips as their breath mingled. Lorelai could feel his arms straining, the mattress quaking with restrained strength, and tugged on one elbow to pull his weight down onto her. Luke buried his face in her neck, thrusting hard and hot as she met each stroke, grinding against him and squeezing him tight with her muscles. "Luke," she whispered hoarsely as she found herself hurtling toward the edge.

"Oh God," Luke murmured as her muscles clutched him tightly.

"Luke, oh," she gasped, pressing her head back into the pillow and arching her neck as she strained against him, searching for sweet release. Luke drew the soft skin on her neck into his mouth, sucking hard as he tried to fight back the urge to come. "Luke," she cried, her nails digging into his ass and bunching his t-shirt in her other hand as she broke apart. A long soft moan escaped her, as she rode the waves of pleasure, and gasped for breath.

With a groan that ripped from depths of him, Luke thrust into her, releasing himself from the torment and giving into the pure pleasure her climax was milking from him. "Oh God, Lorelai," he groaned as he began to fill her with hard hot spurts. "Oh God, Oh God," he panted into her ear. He kissed her cheek and hair desperately as the spasms subsided. "Oh God," he whispered as he slowed, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. Lorelai smoothed her hand over the soft cotton covering his back, running her fingers along the length of his spine and then stroking his ass gently. As the fog in his mind began to clear, Luke jerked his head up suddenly and groaned, "Oh God." He looked down at her and then scrambled back, pushing up with his hands as he pulled away from her. He stared down at her in shock and said, "Oh God, what did I do?"

Lorelai blinked in confusion and shook her head as she said, "Nothing I didn't want you to do."

"Oh God, no," Luke said as he pushed up off of her and jerked his pants up over his hips. "No, not like this," he said as he shook his head violently.

Lorelai looked at him wide eyed as she laughed nervously and said, "You're scaring me."

Luke moved over to sit on the side of the bed and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes as he said gruffly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Lorelai sat up quickly, steadying herself on her arms as she looked around for her clothing. She spotted her shirt tangled among the sheets and reached for it quickly. She pulled it over her head, forcing the sleeves to turn the right side out as she pressed her fists through them. "I thought that this was what you wanted," she said in a bewildered tone, a flush of anger and embarrassment creeping into her cheeks.

"No, I didn't want this," he said as he turned to look at her incredulously.

"Well, you sure seemed to a few minutes ago," she snapped.

Luke shook his head and said, "No, no. Not like this. You think this is what I've been planning all these years? Dumping you on the bed and jumping on you like a teenager?" he asked.

"Planning all these years?" Lorelai repeated with a confused frown.

"Yes, Lorelai. Damn it," he said as he stood up to pace beside the bed. "You think I just wanted to sleep with you?" he demanded.

"I don't know," she shot back. She pressed her hands to her temples and said, "I'm so confused. I thought you wanted this. I thought you wanted to be together," she said plaintively.

"I do! But not with her coming here, and then this," he said as he shook his head. "We haven't talked, I haven't taken you out to dinner. Hell, I didn't even ask if you wanted a glass of water," he said as he threw his arms out in frustration. "Do you?" he asked quickly.

"Uh, water?" she asked, trying to catch up.

"Yeah," he said with a nod, planting his hands on his hips.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, I'm good. Some pants would be nice, though," she said pointedly.

Luke looked around and spotted her sweats and panties wadded up on the floor at the foot of the bed. He picked them up, straightening the legs and pulling the underwear free, before he handed them both to her, a faint blush tingeing his cheeks. He turned away slightly as she dressed and said in a defeated tone, "I just meant that I wanted to do this right."

Lorelai pulled her sweats over her hips and said, "Seemed like we did it pretty well to me."

Luke turned back to her, and tried to smother his smile as he said, "Don't joke. I feel terrible."

"I feel pretty good," she said frankly, looking him straight in the eye.

"You do?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Well, I did until you freaked out."

"I'm sorry," he said again as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Lorelai reached over and squeezed his arm as she said, "Please stop apologizing, okay?" She shook her head and said softly, "I really don't want to feel like this was wrong."

"Okay," he said simply. He looked over at her, his face softening into a tender smile as he said, "I'm an idiot."

"Yes, you are," she said gravely. "It wasn't wrong, though, was it?" she asked cautiously.

"No, it's finally right," he answered. "I really don't want you to regret this," he said quietly.

"I don't," she assured him. "You do owe me dinner, though," she teased, coaxing a genuine smile from him.

"We have to talk about some stuff," he told her. He reached up and rubbed his jaw nervously as he said, "Uh, aside from the whole drama, which is something else entirely, um, we weren't very responsible just then."

Lorelai nodded slowly and said, "Well, I have part of that covered, and as for the rest, we may need to talk about that some..." She trailed off as they both jumped when they heard the diner door close.

"Crap," Luke said as he stood up quickly. "Excellent timing, as usual," he growled as he looked around in confusion.

"Couch," Lorelai said quickly, as she jerked her chin at it. "We'll sort this out tomorrow," she promised him.

Luke blinked at her and then laughed shortly as he said, "Wow, sex and then sleeping on the couch."

"Okay, not funny right now," she said as she shooed him away.

Luke nodded and dove for the couch, turning out the lamp as he stretched out. "This is been the strangest damn night," he grumbled as they heard Jess coming up the steps.

Lorelai snorted and said, "You're telling me."

Luke chuckled and said, "I didn't even kiss you goodnight."

"Next time," Lorelai said as she pulled the sheets up with a giggle.

"Who are you talking to?" Jess asked as he walked through the door.

"Oh, uh, Lorelai's here," Luke answered from the couch.

"You kids decide to have a slumber party, or do I need to cover my eyes?" Jess asked as he squinted into the darkened apartment, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim glow of the streetlights.

"She has people from the inn staying at her house," Luke said gruffly.

"Rory is staying at Lane's," Lorelai told him.

Jess nodded and said, "Yeah, I heard," deliberately failing to mention that he had stopped by there to tap on the window, only to be met with a cricket bat.

"Well, we'd better get to sleep," Luke said, hoping to end the conversation then and there. "Goodnight Jess," he said firmly. "Goodnight, Lorelai," he called.

"Night, Luke. Night, Jess," Lorelai answered.

Jess shook his head and said, "Night, John Boy. Night, Mary Ellen." He headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed and closed the door firmly behind him.

Lorelai sat up and whispered, "Quick, kiss me goodnight."

Luke slipped quietly from the couch and walked to the bed, bending down to kiss her gently on the lips. When he pulled away, she whispered, "I want a big, fat, juicy steak."

"I can do that," Luke whispered back as he moved back to the couch and resumed his previous position.

"We'll talk tomorrow," she assured him.

"Good," he whispered as he settled into his pillow.

Fin

**The Challenge: ****When Lorelai's house is taken over by guest from the Inn, Lorelai goes to Luke's to bunk there. Instead of Nicole calling, she decides to surprise Luke by coming to stay the night. What happens when she comes and finds Lorelai is spending the night at her boyfriends?**


End file.
